242 MISS BADSWORTH, M.F.H. 



both staring him in the face. A razor became a ready sub- 

 stitute, and this may be taken as evidence of blind eager- 

 ness on the part of the young man to whom a razor, a 

 specially good razor, was an instrument to be treated with 

 motherly care. 



The outer wrapper was rapidly removed, only to reveal a 

 second ; the removal of the second laid bare a third ; the 

 third in its turn covered a fourth. ** Was it a practical joke ? " 

 Jack thought. 



" No." The answer came to him as the fourth covering 

 joined the heap of paper on the floor. 



A coat, a red coat, stained and purpled by use and stress 

 of weather, but folded flat as though hydraulic pressure had 

 been used. A strip of paper pinned to the flannel lining bore 

 the legend : — 



'' With very many thanks. Lavvy." 



Jack waded clear of the sheets of brown paper and gently 

 shook out the coat as though it had been constructed of 

 antique point lace and held it at arm's-length with both 

 hands; it was the front view, and the Cranston Hunt 

 buttons were dingy from exposure ; then he turned it round 

 and viewed the back. Messrs. Lappel & Stock's work had 

 been good ; there was no outward and visible sign to show 

 where the alterations had been made in order to make the 

 garment fit Miss Lavinia Badsworth's slim figure. 



For just one moment Jack Morgan was puzzled as to the 

 meaning of that parcel, and he sat down on the edge of 

 his bed and spread the coat over the knees of his spotless 

 breeches. It occurred to him that this was the first day of 

 regular hunting, though the season might be said to have 

 been begun a fortnight before. This was the day when 

 the huntsman and hunt servants would appear in all the 

 grandeur of a brand new turn-out, and so — he went back to 

 a hot morning in June when Lavvy had asked the loan of 

 a stained coat, and he smiled as he thought of the merry 

 brown eyes which would have twinkled over the making up 

 of the parcel. Taking it altogether it was satisfactory, and 



